CFA 19/SEP/24-4

Location

campuses at Van Ness, Lamond-Riggs, and Old Congress Heights
Washington, DC
United States

Owner
University of the District of Columbia
Property
University of the District of Columbia
Description
New exterior graphics program
Review Type
Concept

Letter

Dear Mr. Dussan:

In its public meeting of 19 September conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a concept design for new exterior graphics at the three campuses of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), in the Van Ness, Lamond-Riggs, and Congress Heights neighborhoods. The Commission approved the concept submission with the following comments and delegated the review of the final design to the staff.

The Commission members expressed support for the goal of establishing a stronger sense of place and graphic identity at UDC’s campuses, which include buildings of differing architectural styles in varying urban conditions. However, they cautioned that the signage, if not carefully located, sized, and maintained, may contribute to the visual clutter within these busy streetscapes. They therefore requested additional documentation of the proposed graphics within the wider urban context in order to better evaluate the overall impact of the project.

To complete the delegated final review, please consult with the staff which, as always, is available to assist you.

Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary

Javier Dussan
Vice President, Facilities & Real Estate Management
University of the District of Columbia
4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008

cc: Henrique Siblesz, Gensler